This invention relates to electrical switches that are useful for switching electrical power and for switching electrical signals at very low energy levels. In many types of switching requirements the contacts must open and close with a positive snap action in which the snap motion is independent of the speed at which the switch actuator is moved by its operator. Further, these snap type switches must be constructed so that the moving contact will come to rest in the fully ON or fully OFF positions, and not at some intermediate position. Further, when the actuator is released by the operator selected contacts must remain in the ON or OFF position to which they were last moved by the operator.
In the past, the above desired properties were provided primarily by what are known as precision snap switches. These switches often are expensive to manufacture. The snap action slide switch of this invention achieves the above described operating objectives and is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.